Trailer coupling



Jul 3,1923. 1,460,839

I H. F. BIGGAM l TRAILER COUPLING Qriginal Filed Jan. 5. 1917 61cm nu,

Patented July 3, 1923.

' UNITED STATES (30., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OFWISCONSINQ TRAILER Original application filed January 5,

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, HARRY F. BIGGAM',

a citizen of the United States, and residing at Milwaukee, in the countyof Milwaukee and State of Wisconsim'have invented a new and ImprovedTrailer Coupling, 'of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to means for connecting trailer vehicles totractors, whether self propelled or themselves trailers, and ts. objectis to provide a coupling which Wlll permit free swinging movementbetween the draft mechanism and the draw bar of atrailer and which maybe rendered substantially rigid while being used for traction purposesbut which may be rendered fiexlble when the draw bar is held stationaryand the trailer is pushed backwardby the draft mechanism.

This application is a division of my coending application Serial Number140,827, Filed January 5, 1917, and the invention set forth consistsprincipally in a coupling member having a horizontalpin by which it maybe attached to the draw head of a trailer and the details of the drawhead.

It further. consists in a vertical pin by means of which the couplingmember is con-v nected to a draft link, means being provided forpreventing lateral swinging movement between the draft link and thecoupling member or permitting such movement at will.

It further consists of the details of construction illustrated in theaccompanying drawing and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan of one end of a trailer and its draftmechanism, a part of the draw head being broken away. Fig.

2 is a side elevation of this draft mechanism. Fig. 3 is a central,vertical, longitudinal section thereof; Fig. 4 is a bottom plan of apart of the draft link.

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the severalviews of the drawings of this and the patent application.

The structure shown in the drawing is 5 one end 1 of a vehicle which mayhave'both cournm'e.

' ing knuckles 6 which'carry the wheels 7 in I the usual manner.Steering arms 8 connect to well known links 9. A king bolt 14 isindicated "in dotted lines and on this' the draw bar 33 zontal plane. v

The outer end of this draw bar or the draw head 49 is hollowwith.substantially.

is m ount ed to swing ina hori- 1.460.839 M riam;

HARRY E. BIGGAM, 0E MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, assreivon TO THE BIeeAnrnArLEn" 1917, Serial No. 14O,827. "1 )ivided and this application filed'A rii 9,1921. Serial maaeopis, i Y s stantially spiral grooves 51 toreceive the ends of the pin 52 carried by the rearforked end of thecoupling member 53;. This e:

p'ling member is mounted on a pin or bolt 54: carried by the link 56,which may be of any desired lengthyand" this couplingmem- I her isnormally locked from swinging relative to the link by means .ofa bolt57' that engages in' a proper notch in tlie. circular from 6 8 of thecoupling ine b rqwh this member is inali'nemeritwith 'the-link'56. Undercertain co diti theveh hicle 'isibeing pushed backward by the link 56,when means not shown are employed to hold ,the draw bar central with thevehicle, [f

this boltf57 maybe withdrawn againstfthe tension of thespring59"b'y'means of a pin 60 attached to thislbolt 57 This pin 603s slidablein a slot 61 fhaving, not ches "62 and 62, into one of which thispinbOin'ay be swungin order to hold the bolt 57 ii neither.-

its outward ior retracted positions; In order to keep the pin 52from'ijumping out of its seat in th'e'bottom of thegrooves 51- latch 63vbe m ed p the pin I, 64; carried by the draw head A ing 65 normallyholds this latch over the pin 52,

but the latch may be swung back to release the coupling member, ahandlea66 being shown for this purpose.

When this latch 63 is swung back to free the coupling member 53, thiscoupling member may "be lifted out ofengagement with the draw head whilethe link 56 and rating.

draw head are slowly sepaf The detailsandproportions of the severalparts of this coupling may allbe changed by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth 1 in thefollowing claims. I claim I v i 1. Ina vehicle, the combinationof a drawbar mounted to swing in a horizontal plane 1 and havlng an open end, acoupling member detachably connected to the front end of the;

draw bar embodying a body portion, a horizontal pin at one end of thebody portion and adapted to enter the open end of the draw bar, avertical pin mounted in said couplingmember, and a link connected to thevertical pinf 2. In a vehicle, the combination of adraw bar mounted toswing in a horizontal plane and having a draw head at its outer end,said draw head being hollow with substantially parallel sides providedon their inner faces with grooves which areiinclined upwardly from theouter end of the draw headand then turn downwardly, and a couplingadapted to enter the draw head and having a horizontal pin whose endsare adapted to I enter the grooves in the sides of the draw head. I a

3. A draft mechanismembodying a hol low draw head, a draft link and acoupling member, said draw head having substantially spiral grooves inits sides, said coupling member having projections at one end whose endsare adapted to enter said grooves, also having its opposite end,circular and notched,

and also having a'verticalpin at the-center of curvature of the circularend, said draft link embodying an end adapted to- ,connect to saidvertical pin and'also havinga locking pin adapted to engage the-notchedcir cular end of the coupling member.

l. Ina vehicle, the combination of a draw bar mounted to swing in ahorizontal plane top and a closed bottom, and curved sided projectionsin said grooves n grooves in its opposed sides, a coupling memberadapted to enter the open end 01 the draw head and having projectionsadapted to slide in said grooves, and a latch mounted in the draw headand adaptedto holdsaid .6. A draft mechanism embodying a hollow drawhead having an open end, a closed top and a closed bottom, and curvedsided grooves in its opposed sides, a coupling member adapted to enter.the open end of the draw head and having projections adapted.

to slide in said grooves, a latch mounted in the draw head and adaptedto hold said proections in said grooves, and a spring to position thelatch in. operative position,

7. A draft mechanism embodying draw head, a coupling member and .a'clraft link, said coupling member having its rear end engaging the drawhead' and its frontend circular, a pin'mounted in the coupling-membercentral with the circular front end, said draft link having a forkedrear end provided with holes to receive the pin mounted in the couplingmember, and a spring held bolt mounted in the draft link to locktheflinkand coupling member from swinging relativeto each other.

f 8. A draft mechanism embodyinga. draw head, a coupling member and adraft link,

said coupling member having its rear end engaging the draw head and itsfront end circular, a pm mounted 1n the coupl ng memf ber {central withthe circular front end, said draft link having a forked rearendlprovided with holes to receive the pin mounted in the couplingmember, a spring held bolt mountedin the draft link to look the link.

and coupling member from'swinging relative to each other, and .pin tomove the bolt against the pressure of'the spring, said link having aslot in which the pin is slidable, said slot having a lateral recess tore-j ceive the pin and prevent its movement.

, HARRY r. BIGGAM,

